NEW DELHI, Oct 19: India's Sachin Tendulkar, who missed the first two home Tests against Australia due to an elbow injury, will undergo a fitness test before the third match of the series starting in Nagpur on Oct 26.

The 31-year-old batsman, out of action since the Asia Cup final in August because of a tennis elbow, has also been complaining of muscle weakness.

"He will have to undergo a fitness test two days before the match. If he's declared fit, he will play," Karunakaran Nair, secretary of the Indian cricket board, said on Tuesday. "We're optimistic about his chances."

Tendulkar trained with the Indian squad till last week before returning home to Mumbai for treatment. He was named on Monday in a 15-player squad for the third Test.

Australia lead the four-match series 1-0, winning the first Test in Bangalore by 217 runs. The second match in Chennai was abandoned as a draw because rain washed out the final day's play on Monday.-Reuters